LET to lure players with hefty prize money
In a bid to put the LET (Ladies European Tour) in the limelight and boost its image across the globe, the officials of World Ladies Championship have jacked up the tournament’s prize money,
bringing the total amount of purse to an eye-popping $1 million for its 2013 edition.
The LET, which has been struggling to gain the much-needed media attention and a line-up awash with fan-favourite contenders since it came into being in 1979, is sure to get an enormous boost
thanks to the coming million-dollar tournament.
The World Ladies Championship saw its inaugural edition take place last year at Mission Hills Haikou, with the Chinese Shanshan Feng grabbing the title.
According to the details, officials have given the prize money a boost of $600,000, and it is expected that the increased purse will help gain more talented players not only from Europe, but
from places like the United States, China, Taiwan, Australia and Japan.
Observers have said that it is good news for everyone concerned about the growth of LET, because a big purse ensures big audience and well-known players, which in turn attracts media attention.
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour—which is LET’s counterpart, is said to have gained a major audience share in the world thanks to its much-hyped tournaments and a rich
field packed with famous players, but observers have said that the recent efforts have helped LET officials improve its position to a greater extent and the coming years will see more such developments.
So far, the LET has focused on introducing tournaments that are able to lure players from across the globe, not just Europe. For the most part, things have started to improve as the World
Ladies Championship, despite being an LET event, was successfully staged in Hainan, China, featuring players from the host country, Sweden, Italy, England, America, Australia and New Zealand.
Now, the new strategy that has seen a gigantic boost in prize money, which is set to make the Tour attractive for players who never thought they would ever play on the LET.
Players like Feng, who will be defending her title at the 2013 World Ladies Championship, can be used to promote the Tour in Asian countries, as Asian contenders have already found a solid
foothold on the LPGA Tour.
“I am really looking forward to defending at Mission Hills Resort Haikou as I really enjoyed the inaugural edition. It was such a successful week for me winning in front of my home fans and
I have many great memories so hopefully I can retain both titles next year,” Feng said while speaking to the media about the coming edition of World Ladies Championship.
Ladies European Tour’s Executive Director Alexandra Armas said: “I am thrilled to announce this prize fund increase as it really serves to demonstrate what a quality tournament this is and
how successful the inaugural event was in 2012”.
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